Welcome to Hyperion Records, an independent British classical label devoted to presenting high-quality recordings of music of all styles and from all periods from the twelfth century to the twenty-first.

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Reviews

'In its entirety this disc is a sublime tribute both to one of England's greatest composers, and to the skill and conviction of one of today's finest ensembles' (Gramophone)

'This superbly sung selection of some of his finest Latin church music will surely prove to be one of Tallis's very best 500th birthday presents. It is hard to imagine a better performance of the magnificent six-part votive antiphon Gaude gloriosa' (The Daily Telegraph)

'This is the first manifestation of the new exclusive contract between Hyperion and the Cardinall's Musick. With Andrew Carwood's scholarly approach to Tudor music, coupled with the individual excellence of each of his singers and the superlative production values of Hyperion, I suspect this is going to be a very fruitful collaboration' (International Record Review)

'This is a highlight of the Tallis year' (Fanfare, USA)

'This marvellously full-throated performance can stand comparison with any … throughout, the performances maintain the high level The Cardinall's Musick have consistently displayed in their Byrd series, being beautifully tuned and balanced … a strong 5-star recommendation' (Goldberg)

Introduction

One of the most difficult tasks facing the Tallis scholar is any attempt to impose chronological order on the composer’s output. The five-part Latin Magnificat and Nunc dimittis are especially problematic. They survive in a unique Elizabethan source but their style and form point to an earlier date of composition. Tallis adopts the usual practice of alternating chant with polyphony in the pre-Reformation style but there is no use of cantus firmus nor faburden. Furthermore the old-style melismas are not in evidence and there is a much greater use of syllabic writing, nor are there any sections for soloists or reduced forces as one might expect. Here also is a rather less euphonious Tallis at work than can be seen in the pieces more securely attributed to the reigns of Mary and Elizabeth. So the evidence seems to point to a compositional date late in Henry VIII’s reign.

The present album perfectly illustrates developments from the 1540s. The Reformation began to take hold and the style of music required from composers such as Tallis altered radically. The large-scale melismatic votive antiphons were no longer req ...» More